gerstlaueringvar wrote:Can't wait to go to Carowinds someday. Fury's first half looks like it has the perfect pacing and some funky forces. If Afterburn is anything like Montu I'm totally sold. Also surprised to hear such good review of I-232!

I actually prefer Afterburn. The first drop felt like it had more snap to it and every single element pulled serious g's whereas Montu sometimes slugs its way to the end if the MCBR bites too hard. Montu's batwing still crushes all challengers, but the whole of Afterburn was just a little more satisfying to me. With Fire Dragon leaving us, Afterburn is now my #2 invert.

When we saw on the app that Lightning Rod was OPEN we made the decision to head out of Carowinds a little earlier after the Fury tour and ERT. We had a very full day at Carowinds the day before, so it made sense to get out to Dollywood a bit earlier to try to get on Lightning Rod.

Now, this time last year, we had done another tour that stopped at Dollywood and I'm sure you can guess, we missed out on Lightning Rod. Disappointed, yes, but that didn't stop up from putting together a tour this year that made a return trip so we could get on the ride.

Over the past few weeks, it was looking a bit unlikely that we would get on it, but all the planets did align and the ride OPENED! Not only did we get on it, but I actually managed SEVEN rides over the course of the two days we were there!

So how was it? Honestly, it was worth the wait! The ride absolutely delivers. And even moreso at night! The airtime is relentless and is *exactly* the kind of airtime I like... that constant feeling of almost being thrown out of your seat! It's just incredible! Every inch of track has been beautifully designed! While I don't really "rank" coasters anymore, this would by far be in my top 5 wood and top 10 overall coasters.

Someone had asked me which of the four RMC "woodies" is my favorite now that I've been on all four, but honestly they are all so different and good. Outlaw Run had that intense snappy feel to it and the inversions are fantastic, Wildfire is just an overall CRAZY experience that keeps you laughing all the way around, Lightning Rod is an airtime monster, and Goliath is just sort of Goliath. They are different enough, and spaced far apart enough that they don't compete with each other so I don't see why I'd need to pick a favorite.

The only real constructive feedback I can give for the ride was in the operations department falling under the "ride rules" category. We had one of our riders who was RIGHT on the edge of not being able to to ride. The first time he rode, he was able to get the bar down and he fit just fine. The second time he rode, he was having more trouble so I went to push down on his bar to help just like I would on every other ride in the world, and this angry older ride op named "Al" came over and shouted at me "DO NOT TOUCH THAT BAR HE HAS TO DO IT ON HIS OWN IF YOU TOUCH THAT BAR AGAIN YOU ARE NOT RIDING THIS COASTER ANYMORE!!!!!"

I'm sorry what? Excuse me? This ride is already difficult enough for people to get on and you want to make it even HARDER for people? No, sorry, that's not cool with me. I cannot think of another ride anywhere in the world where you couldn't give the guy next to you literally a "nudge" on the bar to make it down that TINY extra to get the green light especially when the guy JUST RODE the coaster. The ride ops would NOT help anyone push the bar down on Lightning Rod, yet they had no problem pushing the bar down and helping on Thunderhead or Wild Eagle. This needs to be fixed, IMO.

That being said, words really cannot describe how amazing Lightning Rod is. The launch takes you off-guard and the pacing of the ride is nuts. There is a reason why RMC has quickly jumped to the top of my list of favorite ride designers and they are making the kinds of rides that I absolutely love.

What about the rest of our Dollywood visit? Fantastic! I mean, we rode so much and had an amazing two days. Wild Eagle, Tennessee Tornado, Blazing Fury, Thunderhead, Mystery Mine, the new Drop Line drop tower, Mountain Slidewinder, and the list goes on. We feasted on cinnamon bread and that really was the icing on the cake, literally!

Once again, another great visit to Dollywood! Now onto some photos...

As soon as we heard that Lightning Rod was OPEN we high tailed it to Dollywood!

Not only did we just get on Lightning Rod but it is one of the best roller coasters I've been on! WOW!!! Words cannot describe!

Just got in another ride! WOW! Incredible! Back seat is an airtime monster!!!

Let's not forget about Dollywood's other legendary woodie, Thunderhead!!!

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